Why the Gulf is set to lead the world in urban planning development and management

The Middle East, particularly the Gulf, is gripped by rapid urban expansion. Focused economic growth and investment in projects has created some of the fastest-growing cities in the world, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha and Jeddah.

Rapid growth comes with its fair share of challenges for urban planners, architects and engineers. Every city faces its own unique set of issues. But this also provides exciting new opportunities for the government, businesses and society to converge and change the way that cities are developed.

New technologies are enabling new ways of thinking. From building information modelling (BIM) to energy storage solutions and renewable sources for powering our future cities, technology has empowered experts to dream bigger.

Our future cities are set to be better planned, better operated and happier places to live. But what do these developments mean for the construction industry?

Building Future Cities is the sixth report from the MEED/Mashreq Construction Partnership. The report looks at the factors shaping the region’s cities of the future: social, economic, environmental and technological. The report features insights from experts from a range of organisations such as Serco Middle East, Khalifa University, Cisco, Masdar and BuroHappold, on the trends shaping our future cities, potential transformations enabled by new and emerging technologies, and considers whether the construction industry is ready for change.

Download your copy of the report here.